Latidens salimalii, Thonglongya, 1972

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 76-77

28.

Salim Ali’s Fruit Bat

Latidens salimalii

French: Cynoptere de Salim Ali / German: Salim-Ali-Fruchtfledermaus / Spanish: Latideno de Salim Ali

Taxonomy. Latidens salimalii Thonglongya, 1972 ,

High Wavy Mountains, 2,500 ft. (= 762 m), Madurai District, Madras India.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to S Western Ghats in S India (Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, and Agasthiyar Hill Range, High Wavy Mts, and Anaimalai Hills in Tamil Nadu).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 102- 109 mm (tailless), ear 15-5-18:- 5 mm, hindfoot 8-15 mm, forearm 66-69 mm; mean weight 69- 2 g. Males are ¢.10% heavier than females. Head ofSalim Ali’s Fruit Bat is flat, relatively large, and blackish brown. Muzzle is short; nostrils are deeply incised and divergent. There are paired upper and (large) lowerlip papillae. Eyes are large; iris is chocolate-brown. Ear bases are below eye levels, and pinnae are oval and narrowly rounded at tips. Dorsal pelage 1s dark grayish brown, short, soft, and lightly grizzled with pale hairs; rump and flanks are infused with chestnut hairs. Indistinct rosette of hairs occurs on upper shoulders. Chin and throat are sparsely haired, and pelage on chest and belly is short and grayish brown. Uropatagium is undeveloped in center, with fringe of hairs extending posteriorly. Calcar is well developed. Tibia is long and dorsally naked. Wing membranes are blackish, and buffy soft hairs occur on underside of plagiopatagium between elbow and knee. Index claw is present. Baculum is large, ovoid, and hollowed ventrally. Skull has short rostrum, large orbits, slender and arched zygoma, and large, flattened braincase; paranasal recesses are inflated and long; there is no supraorbital foramen; and postorbital process is short. Mandible body is straight, coronoid slopes, condyle is level with alveolar line, and angle is inconspicuous. Dental formulais11/1,C1/1,P 3/3, M 1/2 (x2) = 26. One pair of upper and lowerincisors and wide cheekteeth characterize dentition. I' is cylindrical (I? absent), and I, is slightly spatulated (I, absent). P' is peg-like; upper cheekteeth are relatively wide; lower cheekteeth are squarish, noticeably widened; next premolar (P,) is high; and M,is peg-like. Palatal ridges are thin and arched; there are four anterior undivided ridges between C' and P?, followed by nine medially divided ridges and the last one denticulate.

Habitat. Montane evergreen forests, regenerating forests, and coffee and cardamom plantations at elevations of 800-1100 m. Salim Ali’s Fruit Bat is endemic to the Southern Ghats montane rainforest ecoregion.

Food and Feeding. Salim Ali’s Fruit Bat is primarily frugivorous. They take ripe fruit on the wing to a night roost to feed on pulp. Fruit is held with one wing’s thumb and index finger. It eats fruits from at least 18 genera in 16 families. Flowers from at least six genera and five families are used.

Breeding. Late pregnancy and parturition of Salim Ali’s Fruit Bats was noted in February—March. Litter size is one. Lactating females carrying large (c. 25 g) dependent young were recorded in April-June.

Activity patterns. Salim Ali’s Fruit Bats spend the day roosting in wide-mouthed, shallow caves, with all individuals clustered on surfaces of the cave ceiling and in darkest recesses; caves are located near streams. Emergence occurs in small groups beginning at 18:30 h, with peak emergence at 19:00-19:30 h. At night, they roost in rock shelters, caves, and abandoned buildings where groups of 4-12 individuals gather together to feed on fruits carried from trees, arriving after 18:45 h. Salim Ali’s Fruit Bats return to day roosts at ¢.05:30 h. Social vocalizations include calls of 14-35 kHz.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Salim Ali’s Fruit Bats move among day roosts, fruiting trees, and night roosts where fruit are consumed, within a diameter of less than 1 km. Feeding occurs in small groups of 4-8 individuals. Both sexes have been found together in caves used as day or night roosts. Individuals are spaced c. 10 cm apart in their roosts.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Salim Ali’s Fruit Bat is protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, amended in 2006. Estimated area of occupancy is ¢. 2000 km? Population is low and declining; five known day roosts had 25-400 individuals and total population of 800— 850 individuals. Largest single population of 475 individuals appears to be in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. Major threats are disturbance in caves, to which Salim Ali’s Fruit Bat is highly sensitive; tree cutting in coffee estates that reduce forest cover; and local hunting for traditional medicinal use, intended to cure respiratory disorders. Salim Ali’s Fruit Bat is found in protected areas including Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, and Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. Salim Ali’s Fruit Bat also occurs in private estates dedicated to tea, coffee, and cardamom production, where it is protected and land is unlikely to be drastically transformed in the short term.

Bibliography. Agoramoorthy & Hsu (2005), Bates & Harrison (1997), Bates, Harrison, Thomas & Muni (1994), Ghosh et al. (1999), Giannini & Simmons (2007a), Molur & Vanitharani (2008), Molur etal. (2002), Olson et al. (2001), Singaravelan & Marimuthu (2003a, 2003b), Srinivasulu, C. et al. (2010), Thonglongya (1972), Vanitharani (2015), Vanitharani, Malathi & Sundari (2005), Vanitharani, Pearch et al. (2004), Wordley et al. (2016).

Figures

15. Brooks's Dayak Fruit Bat (Dyacopterus brooksi), 16. Common Dayak Fruit Bat (Dyacopterus spadiceus), 17. Philippine Large-headed Fruit Bat (Dyacopterus rickarti), 18. Blanford’s Fruit Bat (Sphaerias blanfordi), 19. Bornean Spotted-winged Fruit Bat (Balionycteris maculata), 20. Malayan Spotted-winged Fruit Bat (Balionycteris seemundi), 21. Bornean Pygmy Fruit Bat (Aethalops aequalis), 22. Common Pygmy Fruit Bat (Aethalops alecto), 23. Common Swift Fruit Bat (Thoopterus nigrescens), 24. Suhaniah’s Swift Fruit Bat (Thoopterus suhaniahae), 25. Mindanao Pygmy Fruit Bat (Alionycteris paucidentata), 26. Fischer’s Pygmy Fruit Bat (Haplonycteris fischeri), 27. Luzon Pygmy Fruit Bat (Otopteropus cartilagonodus), 28. Salim Ali’s Fruit Bat (Latidens salimaliz), 29. Sundaic Black-capped Fruit Bat (Chironax melanocephalus), 30. Sulawesi Black-capped Fruit Bat (Chironax tumulus), 31. Lucas’s Short-nosed Fruit Bat (Penthetor lucasu)

Distribution. Endemic to S Western Ghats in S India (Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, and Agasthiyar Hill Range, High Wavy Mts, and Anaimalai Hills in Tamil Nadu).